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THE PEKING RELIEF FORCE.
(Daily Press, 15th August.) As day after day passes without news from Peking on which we can implicitly rely, the public is perhaps too prone to reflect on the delay of the relieving forces on their weary way to the Capital. Those, however, who know the road, even at the best of times, are aware how difficult is the task of advancing through the low-lying country which proved so impenetrable to Admiral Seymour's first attempt at rescue; and when to this is added the certainty that a defeat would result not only in the murder of every wounded soldier, but in the massacre of every European in Peking and the interior, may well be con- ceived how heavy is the responsibility rest- ing on the leaders of the relief force. Still with all these facts before us, and reckoning the natural desire of the commanders that no information should reach the enemy of their intended movements, it seems to be a step backwards that no means of communication
with the North, otherwise than the Chinese Government lines passing through Chihli and Shantung, should exist between the front and the outer world. At various times it has been proposed that a submarine wire should be laid from Chefoo or Weihai- wei, communicating with the Great Northern line from Gutzlaff to Hongkong, but for some reason, probably connected with inter- national matters, the idea seems to have been dropped. Still Chefoo or Weihaiwei is within less than two days' steaming, even by an ordinary steamer, of Gutzlaff, and it certainly does seem incomprehensible why with this means of communication open no effort has been made to place on the line a fast steamer. It is, of course, inevitable where every state, large or small, feels a natural desire to take some part in the re- lief, that differences of opinion should exist as to the necessity for publicity; and we can únderstand that even Great Britian and the United States should to a certain extent fall in with these views; but even so, where the necessity of consulting their governments may at any moment arise, it seems strange that no better way than the present should exist of making the wants or successes of our armies known to their respective govern- ments.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND evil genius in all things relating to China is leading him to depend more and more for his inspirations on the interested sugges tions of the Chinese Minister to St. James's; and as the latter is so far master of the situation, the information sent bears too plain evidence of having been cooked." Al- together there is good reason to complain of the neglect by our government of such means of information as are easily available. With regard to what is actually happening in Peking, the leaders of the rebellion have shown an unexpected ability to block every avenue of communication; it is doubtful if a single one of the missives which were per- mitted to leave the city arrived untampered with, unless we can depend on the absolute authenticity of the cypher messages which have been made public during the last few days, including the two received in Canton on the 11th instant, which appeared in our issue of the 13th. Many attempts to com- municate in the early stages of the siege were doubtless made, but the evidence seems to point to these having fallen into the enemy's hands, who thus accumulated a stock to be sent out at intervals as suited his convenience. Altogether the situation is by no means reassuring, and the neglect of our Government to take advantage of every means possible for obtaining informa, tion justifies the apprehension that Lord SALISBURY is not yet alive to the gravity of the situation or the importance of the issues involved.
At first it was stated that the forces would advance along different converging lines, but, doubtless from the fear that these movements would be sent on instant- ly by the Telegraphic Administration to the enemy, the outer world has had to remain in almost entire ignorance of the position from day to day. Again it does not seem quite comprehensible to those who know the approaches to the Capital why the line of the Peiho, intersected by marshes capable of being flooded everywhere, and at this time of year a hot-bed of fevers of all descriptions, should have been preferred to the longer, but certain- ly more feasible, line by way of Tongsban. In either case the camp at Lutai has to reckoned with, and from the experience of the railway between Tientsin and Peking gained by Admiral SEYMOUR's force it is unlikely that the movements of the relief force will be much expedited by its presence. Again
(Daily Press, 16th August.)
The advance of the Allied Troops upon Peking has so far been pretty rapid since the defeat of the Chinese at Peitsang, when after seven hours' fighting they were driven out of their entrenchments at that place. The Allies then marched on to Yangtsun, where they again found the enemy strongly entrenched, but succeeded in dislodging them on the 8th instant. Thence they toiled on to Nan-tsai-tsun, up to which point the railway and road ran nearly parallel; but the Allies, following the road, proceeded to Hosiwu, where they arrived on the 10th inst. On the following day they succeeded in reaching Anping, or Ngan-ping as it is called on some maps, only twenty- seven miles from the capital. At this rate of progress the Relieving Army should have reached Tungchow on the 13th inst., and may now even be encamped under the walls of Peking. This is supposing all t have gone well, and no serious opposition made to their progress, but it is hardly likely they would be permitted to approach within cannon-shot range of the walls of the city, much less to enter its sacred precincts without a struggle. The Boxers are in enor- mous force in and around Peking, and the so-called Imperial Government would have at least 30,000 to 40,000 disciplined troops at their command. It is probable that a desperate stand would be made outside the city walls, and every effort put forth to overpower the invaders by sheer weight of numbers. In the event of that failing, they would most likely fall back within the walls and commence a fresh defence behind those ramparts. The result, however, can hardly
[August 18, 1900. the Foreign Ministers and the inmates of the Legations are alive seems pro- bable, but we have no certainty that in the last few days of suspense and starvation the tale of
may not have been com- pleted, and on arrival no further light ob- tained, which may throw a ghastly radiance on this tragedy. Or the Allies may, on en- tering Peking, find that it is the capital no longer; that the seat of power has been re- moved to Sian-fu, the capital of the province of Shensi, and that the surviving foreigners have been taken there as hostages. We trust that this will not prove to be the case. If the latest received messages from the Legations are to be relied upon, such a mové was not in contemplation, and it is more probable that the so-called Government will try and brazen it all out on the ground of non-responsibility for a struggle they were not the first to provoke. The Chinese urge that the allies commenced hostilities by firing on the forts at Taku, quite ignoring all that had preceded that event. It is sincerely to be hoped that the concord between the Treaty Powers will stand the test of time, reverses, troubles of all kinds, and that the policy of pin pricks will not be resumed by the French. The Allies should early decide upon one common line of action and act loyally on its terms. Otherwise they may all have weighty reasons in the not distant future to repent having allowed mutual dis- trust or petty jealousy to stand in the way of a satisfactory settlement of the Chinese
Puzzle.
THE CRISIS IN NORTH CHINA.
(Daily Press 17th August.) It is unfortunately the case that the most difficult portion of the contest in China has not yet come to be discussed amongst the nations, though each and all would willingly have evaded the task. As long as the actual contest was merely one of words or even of
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spheres "there was some hope that a solu- tion of the difficulty would have come of itself from some hitherto unsuspected quar- ter, and hence Mr. HAY's Memorandum, which, without committing any to any very definite line of policy, yet held out a point round which might be gradually accreted the pearl of a common policy, was gladly accepted by all as at least a temporary alle- viation of the strain which all alike felt was becoming too intense for easy endurance. To use the old Alabastrine simile the oyster has been opened and the seed-pearls of western civilisation inserted, and it now only required a little patience to abide the result, for each to draw ou his share of the grow- ing gem. But China had no stomach for the process, the seeds, albeit minute, kept up a process of irritation inconvenient to her ostrean digestion, and she determined once for all to get rid of the offending bodies. The well-meant scheme of Mr. HAY which was to have preserved her from ex- ternal damage and kept her juices intact, was suddenly rendered ineffective, and China, which had for so many ages kept herself con- cealed from the rude rays of vulgar light, has suddenly, and with almost explosive violence, disclosed the innermost workings
withere are whispered certain statements be in doubt. The walls can easily be of her vascular system. Now, however, that
to the behaviour of the Russian troops, regarding which the light of publicity would have some controlling effect. The campaign, it is true, is not one to be fought with rosewater, but there are certain precau tions which it is well to observe, even in a war à l'outrance, and which are sometimes apt to be forgotten by too excitable com- manders on the field. At home in England the absence of information is having a far from salutary effect. Lord SALISBURY'S
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breached with modern artillery, and after that the Allies may be trusted to break down further resistance. At the same time this will not prove a mere walk over. Tientsin was not captured without loss and the en- trenchinents at Peitsang and Yangtsun cost the Allies many valuable lives, and much hard fighting.
Meanwhile the public are asking what the Allies will find in that city of mystery, Peking. That the bulk of
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the oyster has spared the world the tedious process of opening, and lies naked and bare for the first passer-by to make a meal of, the question which comes into prominence before all others is, What to do with her ?
Without any very decisive scheme of de- glutition, England had been assiduously watching the bivalve during the term of growth of the big pearl, which she hoped one day to add to h her jewels; and for a time she was left almost alone in her self-imposed
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